Becoming an EKG technician can be done through on the job training or at an EKG technician training program. We will cover both pathways to become electrocardiograph certified, what the job/pay outlook is, what the job duties are and more! The (EKG) Electrocardiograph certification is a great addition to many allied health careers and is a great starting job as well!
EKG technicians or electrocardiograph technicians are healthcare professionals that do diagnostic testing on patients that allows physicians to successfully identify any cardiovascular problems. Heartbeat irregularities that can lead to heart disease or attacks can be discovered during such tests. EKG technicians mostly work in hospitals. That being said, it is more and more common for them to work in long-term specialty care facilities and private practices.
An EKG technician’s common job duties are prepping patients for EKG testing, perform EKG services, maintain equipment, process test data and perform any additional administrative tasks in the process according to protocols. Tests run by EKG techs are EKG tests, Holter monitoring and stress tests. The EKG technician certification is great for those who want a foot in the door in the healthcare field, but it is even better for those already in healthcare and want to grow their career!
How to Become an Electrocardiograph (EKG) Technician
There are a few key steps to consider when going about the path to become a certified EKG technician. Lets look at them in detail.
How are you Going to get Your EKG Technician Training?
The first thing to consider if you are looing at becoming an EKG technician is to choose how you are going to go about your training. In a program or on the job. If you are already working in the healthcare field in any capacity where EKGs are performed, you may be able to get on the job training from your employer or get a job with the plan of getting on the job training. Some employers do hire high school graduates without experience with training in mind. It is less and less common nowadays though. The other pathway to certification is by attending an actual EKG training program. The main requirement for entry in to most electrocardiograph tech training programs is that you are a high school graduate or have your GED equivalent.
Meet Requirements for Entry in to EKG Tech Training Program
There may be other requirements at specific schools but the main one is commonly to at least have a high school diploma. Once you have chosen your pathway to certification, it becomes easier to see and fulfill the end goal of becoming an actual electrocardiograph technician.
Choose a School and Finish Your EKG Program
If you do choose to attend an EKG tech training program, you will have to choose a program that best fits your needs and once you have completed the training regimen, you can sit forth certification examination. Below is a list of approved EKG technician training schools from NCES.ed.gov.
Electrocardiograph Tech Schools
Albany Technical College 1704 South Slappey Boulevard, Albany, Georgia 31701 City: Small
Allan Hancock College 800 South College Drive, Santa Maria, California 93454-6399 City: Midsize
American Institute of Medical Sciences & Education 4500 New Brunswick Ave, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 Suburb: Large
Anne Arundel Community College 101 College Pky, Arnold, Maryland 21012-1895 Suburb: Large
Atlantic Technical College 4700 Coconut Creek Parkway, Coconut Creek, Florida 33063-3902 Suburb: Large
Baker College 1020 S Washington St, Owosso, Michigan 48867 Town: Distant
Best Care College 68 South Harrison, East Orange, New Jersey 07018-1703 Suburb: Large
Bossier Parish Community College 6220 East Texas, Bossier City, Louisiana 71111-6922 City: Small
Bristol Community College 777 Elsbree St, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720-7395 Suburb: Large
Carnegie Institute 550 Stephenson Hwy Suite 100, Troy, Michigan 48083 City: Small
Central Georgia Technical College 80 Cohen Walker Drive, Warner Robins, Georgia 31088 City: Small
City College of San Francisco 50 Frida Kahlo Drive, San Francisco, California 94112-1898 City: Large
College of DuPage 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137-6599 Suburb: Large
Columbus State Community College 550 E Spring St, Columbus, Ohio 43215 City: Large
Cuyahoga Valley Career Center 8001 Brecksville Road, Brecksville, Ohio 44141-1296 Suburb: Large
Delgado Community College 615 City Park Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 City: Large
Edmonds College 20000 68th Ave W, Lynnwood, Washington 98036-5912 Suburb: Large
Fletcher Technical Community College 1407 Highway 311, Schriever, Louisiana 70395 Rural: Fringe
Florence-Darlington Technical College 2715 W. Lucas Street, Florence, South Carolina 29501-0548 Suburb: Small
Fortis Institute-Forty Fort 166 Slocum Street, Forty Fort, Pennsylvania 18704-2936 Suburb: Large
Healthcare Training Institute 322 Williams Boulevard, Kenner, Louisiana 70062-7630 Suburb: Large
Hudson Valley Community College 80 Vandenburgh Ave, Troy, New York 12180 City: Small
Hussian College-Daymar College Bowling Green 2421 Fitzgerald Industrial Dr., Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101 City: Small
Indiana County Technology Center 441 Hamill Rd, Indiana, Pennsylvania 15701-1465 Rural: Fringe
Ivy Tech Community College 50 W. Fall Creek Parkway N. Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208-5752 City: Large
Jackson College 2111 Emmons Rd, Jackson, Michigan 49201-8399 Rural: Fringe
Joliet Junior College 1215 Houbolt Rd, Joliet, Illinois 60431-8938 Suburb: Large
Lansing Community College 610 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, Michigan 48933 City: Midsize
Metropolitan Learning Institute 97-77 Queens Blvd, 9th Floor, Rego Park, New York 11374 City: Large
Milwaukee Area Technical College 700 W State St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233-1443 City: Large
Mingo Extended Learning Center 165 Bulldog BLVD, Delbarton, West Virginia 25670-9797 Rural: Distant
Niagara County Community College 3111 Saunders Settlement Rd, Sanborn, New York 14132 Rural: Fringe
Northern Essex Community College 100 Elliott Street, Haverhill, Massachusetts 01830-2399 Suburb: Large
Nunez Community College 3710 Paris Rd, Chalmette, Louisiana 70043 Suburb: Large
O C Collins Career Center 11627 State Rte 243, Chesapeake, Ohio 45619-0000 Rural: Fringe
Orange Coast College 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, California 92626 City: Midsize
Parkland College 2400 W Bradley Ave, Champaign, Illinois 61821-1899 City: Small
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences 850 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17601 Suburb: Large
Pensacola State College 1000 College Blvd, Pensacola, Florida 32504-8998 City: Small
Pickaway Ross Joint Vocational School District 1410 Industrial Drive, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601-1038 Town: Distant
Polaris Career Center 7285 Old Oak Blvd, Middleburg Heights, Ohio 44130-3375 Suburb: Large
Rochester Institute of Technology 1 Lomb Memorial Dr, Rochester, New York 14623-5603 Suburb: Large
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota 700 Terrace Heights, Winona, Minnesota 55987-1399 Town: Distant
Sinclair Community College 444 W. Third St., Dayton, Ohio 45402-1460 City: Midsize
Southern Crescent Technical College 501 Varsity Rd, Griffin, Georgia 30223-2042 Suburb: Large
U S Grant Joint Vocational School 718 West Plane Street, Bethel, Ohio 45106 Town: Fringe
Warren County Career Center 3525 North State Route 48, Lebanon, Ohio 45036-1099 Rural: Fringe
Washington County Career Center-Adult Technical Training 21740 State Route 676, Marietta, Ohio 45750 Rural: Fringe
Washington State Community College 710 Colegate Dr, Marietta, Ohio 45750 Rural: Fringe
West Georgia Technical College 176 Murphy Campus Blvd., Waco, Georgia 30182 Rural: Fringe
William T McFatter Technical College 6500 Nova Drive, Davie, Florida 33317 Suburb: Large
Decide if you Want to get Your Electrocardiograph Certification
There are a few options for certification. One option is the CET Certification from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Another great option for certification for EKG techs is from the (AMCA) American Medical Certification Association. It is not required that you are certified as an EKG tech to work as one. It is highly recommended though. Most employers require it and it makes getting hired mush easier. It will also make you more money in the long run as well in most situations. On the job training can replace much of the training but having an actual certification is better than just having the job experience and on the job training. Having both is the ideal option.
EKG Technician Salary
The typical EKG technician salary is $18.24 per hour and $42,254 according to indeed.com at the time this article was written. The growth of the career looks real bright due to a few factors. One is that heart disease, unfortunately, is growing in America. That means that the need for Electrocardiograph testing and technician to run the tests will also be needed. As most healthcare careers are seeing demand increases, the EKG tech is seeing some real positive job outlook for the foreseeable future!